Resilient-tread wheel.



J. BJ ADAMS.

RBSILIBNT TRBAD WHEEL. AAAAAAAAA 0N' FILED SEPT '2, 19o9.

980,855. Patented Jan.r3,1911, 2 EEEEEEEEEEEE 1.'A

APPLIU'ATION FILED SEPT. 2,119.09. 980,855.-

I -4 Patented 3,1911.

, JQ/21294. Je?

JOHN B. ADAMS, orrAcoNrA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

RESILIENT-TREAD WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 2, 1909.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Serial No. 515,839.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inResilient-Tread lVheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wheels for vehicles, and particularly to one inwhich the tread portion of the wheel is resiliently supported upon thewheel proper so that as the wheel revolves over the ground, the treadportion thereof will resiliently yield, thereby taking up shock, thewheel being so constructed, however, that while it has the resilientqualities of a pneumatic wheel, yet it is unpuncturable and not subjectto the damage to which a pneumatic wheel is liable.

Two forms of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure l is a side view of one form of my wheel; Fig. 2 is a side Viewof the hub plates 3; Fig. 3 is a diametrical section from the hub to thecircumference of the wheel shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of thechannel iron in which the tread blocks operate; Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryside elevation of a modification, and Fig. 6 is a diametrical sectionthereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, 2 designates a hub of any usual character,having the annular flange 21. 3 designates opposed plates bolted to theannular flange, the outer margins of the plates being curved toward eachother and there formed with flanges 31. 4 designates opposed annularplates forming what may be termed the middle section of the wheelbetween the hub and the felly. 5 designates a hollow felly formed ofopposed plates 51. These plates, on their inner margins, are curvedinwardly toward each other and formed with the flanges 52. The voutermargins of the plates 5 are formed with inwardly turned flanges 53. Theplates 3 are held to the inner margins of the plates 4 by bolts 32passing through spacing sleeves 33. Preferably, the plates 3 are formedupon their margins with a series of semicircular flanges or ears 31,through which the bolts 32 pass. The outer margins of the plates 4 arebolted to the opposed plates 51 of the hollow felly by bolts 41 passingthrough spacing sleeves 42. 6 designates an annular channel ironattached to the inwardly turned flanges 53 in any suitable manner. Thisannular channel plate is separated by a series of partitions 64 into aplurality of dash pot chambers. The inner face of the annular channelbar 6 is perforated, as at 65, beneath each of the chambers formed bythe partition 64. The lower face or bottom of said channel iron isformed with the outwardly turned flanges 61 which are adapted to engagewith the inwardly turned flanges 53 so that the channel iron 6 is heldrigidly in.

place upon the felly of the wheel. Mounted in each of the compartmentsformed by the transverse partitions 64 in the channel iron 6, are thetread blocks 7. These tread blocks, which may be of steel, rubber, orother suitable material, are carried within an annular U-shaped casing71. As shown in Fig. 5, rubber is used for the tread block, and held inplace by screws 72 passing through the' exterior of the casing and intothel tread block. In Fig. 6, a tread block of steel is shown, which maybe also heldin the casing by the screws 72, the steel tread block beingindicated by the numeral 7X. Attached to the tread block, and projectingthrough the opening and into the hollow -felly 5, is the plunger spindle73 which passes between the inwardly turned flanges 53 and through aplate 74 bolted to the plates 51 near their inner margins, as shown inFig. 3. The eX- tremity of the plunger spindle 73 is provided with thehead 75 which prevents the withdrawal of the plunger spindle and thetread block from engagement with the felly of the wheel. FiXedly mountedon the plunger spindle 73 is the head 76 which may be held in place uponthe plunger rod or spindle by means of a pin or in any other suitablemanner. A coil spring 77 surrounds the plunger rod and is supported atits inner end upon the plate 74. The upper end of the spring bearsagainst the head 76 so that the spring forces the plunger rod and thetread block outward. It will be obvious of course that the plunger rodand tread block may be forced inward against the force of the spring. Itwill also be seen that the plunger rod is held firmly in opposedbearings formed by the opening 65 in the channel iron 6 and by theopening through the plate 7l through which the plunger rod passes. lhare described one tread block with its attached plunger rod and itssupporting spring, but it is to be understood that l use a plurality ottread blocks, plunger rods, springs, etc., mounted in the hollow tellyot the wheel, as shown in Fig. 1.

The wheel so tar described by me is made entirely ot metal plates boltedtogether so as to torni a disk-like wheel, but my invention is clearlyapplicable to a wheel, the hub and spokes ot which are constructed otwood in t-he ordinary manner. Such a wheel is shown in Figs. 5 and G. Inthis construction, 8 designates the usual wooden hub provided with theradiating spokes 9, and 1U designates a wooden rim into which the eX-tremities ot the spokes project and are securely tastened. This woodenrim projects out on each side beyond the spokes, as shown in Fig. G. 11designates the. opposed casing plates which correspond with the casingplates 5 in the previous description. These casing plates are annularand are bolted on their inner margins by bolts 111 to the rim 10. Theouter margins ot the casing plates 11. are inwardly turned, as at 112,and to the tace ot the hollow telly thus termed is attached the channeliron (i, ot the same character as that previously described, havingpartitions 64 and an opening 65. 7X designates a tread block ot the kindpreviously described, inclosed within a three-sided metallic casing 71,72 designating the screws holding' the casing to the tread block. Thespindle 13 projects trom said block, as previously described, and into alongitudinal passage 78 termed in the end ot each spoke 9. Attached tothe spindle 73, is the head 7G which bears against the coiled spring 7"?which at its lower end bears against the rim 10. The action ot both otthese. tires is precisely the same. As the wheel rolls over the ground.the tread sections will be torced inward against the tension ot thesprings 77. As soon as the pressure upon any particular tread block hasbeen relieved, the spring will .torce the tread block outward to itsoriginal position. Y'

It will be seen that wheels constructed in accordance with my invention,while rigid, as regards the body ot the wheel, have a resilient treadsection which will yield sutilciently to take up all jars and shocks,and which is yet unpuncturable and very little liable to dan'lage.

It will be seen trom Figs. l and 3, that the taces ot each tread blockproject over the sides ot the casing' 7l. Not only does this prevent theedge ot the casing trom coming into contact with the ground, or withstones on the roadway, and thereby be coming dented and detormed, but itbrings the edges ot the taces ot the tread blocks closely contiguous toeach other. The bodies escasas ot the tread blocks, however, aresutlicientl)T tar apart so that stones or dirt picked up between thetread blocks will be pushed upwardly into the enlarged space between thebodies ot the tread blocks, and will tall out theretrom.

Having thus described the invention, what l claim is 1. A wheel ot thecharacter described having a telly composed ot two opposed plates spacedtrom each other, the outer margins ot the plates being inwardly turned,an an` nular. U-shaped channel iron supported on the inwardly turnedmargins ot the telly plates and divided into a plurality otcompartments, the tloor ot each compartmentbeing tormed with aperforation, a tread block carried in each ot the said compartments, aplunger spindle attached to the tread block and projecting into thehollow telly, said spindle having a head intermediate ot the ends ot thespindle, a bearing member located in the hollow telly through which saitplunger passes, coiled springs carried within the hollow telly, eachspring surrounding one ot the plunger spindles and bearing at one endagainst the head to torce the tread block outwardand at its other endbearing against said bearing men'iber.

Q. A wheel ot the character described having a hollow telly composed ottwo opposed and separated plates, the outer margins ot the plates beinginwardly turned, a member carried between the inner margins ot the tellyplates to hold the telly plates in spaced relation and to torm a Hoortor said telly, said member having a plurality ot pertorations, anannular channel iron surrounding the telly and having outwardly turnedtlanges on its under tace engaged with the inwaiidly turned tianges otthe telly plates, bolts tastening the channel iro-n to the telly plates,said channel iron being divided into a series ot compartments, aplurality ot tread blocks located one in each ot said compartments, aplunger spindle. tor each tread block projecting through the channeliron and into the hollow telly and into the member torming the tloorthereot, a head tixedly mounted upon the middle ot the plunger spindle,and a coil spring bearing atone end against the tloor ot the telly andat the other end bearing against the said middle headot the spindle totorce the spindle and tread block outward.

3. A wheel ot the character described, comprising a hub having anannular tlange, opposed plates attached on each side ot the tlange, saidplates being inwardly turned toward each other at their outer margins,opposed annular plates surrounding said tirst named plates and boltedthereto and torining the middle section ot a wheel, a hollow tellycomposed ot two opposed separated annular plates, the inner margins otouter casing and torming a tread surtace,l

a plunger spindle attached to the casing and extending through thebottom ot the channel iron and into the hollow telly, and a series otcoiled springs located in the hollow telly, each spring surrounding oneot the plunger spindles and torcing it outward.

4. A wheel ot the character described, comprising a hub having anannular tlange, opposed plates attached on each side ot the ange,opposed annular plates surrounding said tirst named plates and boltedthereto and to-rming the middle section ot a wheel a hollow tellyattached between the last named annular plates, an annular channel ironmounted upon the outer rim ot the telly and divided into a series otcompartments, a tread block carried in each ot said compartments, aspindle attached to each ot said tread blocks and projecting through thecompartment, through the rim ot the hollow telly and into the latter,and a spring located within the hollow telly and acting against thespindle to torce the tread-block outward.

5. A wheel ot the character described, comprising a hub having anannular flange, opposed plates attached on each side ot the flange, theouter margins ot said plates being inwardly turned toward each other,opposed annular plates surrounding said first named plates and attachedthereto and torming the middle section ot a wheel, a hollow tellycomposed ot two opposed separated annular plates, the inner margins otwhich are bolted to the last named annular plates, an annular channeliron surrounding the hollow telly and attached thereto, a transverseannular plate mounted within the hollow telly near the inner end thereotand toi-ming means tor holding the telly plates in spaced relation toeach other, and a plurality ot tread blocks located within said channeliron, a plunger spindle attached to each tread block, and extendingthrough the bottom ot the channel iron into the hollow telly and throughthe transverse plate therein, and a series ot coil-springs located inthe hollow telly, each spring surrounding one ot the spindles andtollowing it outward, the springs being supported upon said trans- Verseplate.

In testimony whereot I atHX my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

JOHN B. ADAMS. [las] lVtnesses FLORENCE PLUMMER, RAY. D. Vrr'rUM.

